The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and especially to an electrical connector assembly having a pair of board locks manufactured in the same machine tool and adapted for being mounted on either side of the electrical connector assembly.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,336,109; and 5,401,192 disclose electrical connector assemblies each comprising an electrical connector and a pair of board locks. The board locks are mounted on opposite sides of the electrical connector and engage with a printed circuit board thereby retaining the electrical connector on the printed circuit board.
Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional electrical connector assembly 100 comprises an electrical connector 110, a pair of board locks 120 and a pair of nuts 130. The electrical connector 110 and the board locks 120 each define through holes (not labeled) through which the nuts 130 extend to retain the board locks 120 on the electrical connector 110. However, since the through hole of the board lock 120 is positioned in a central line thereof, the board locks 120 are not suitable for engaging with through holes of the electrical connector 110 which are offset a distance from through holes 601 of a printed circuit board 60.
Referring to FIG. 2, a similar conventional electrical connector assembly 200 comprises an electrical connector 210, a pair of board locks 220 and a pair of nuts 230. The electrical connector 210 defines a pair of through holes (not labeled) which are offset a distance from through holes 601' of a printed circuit board 60'. The board lock 220 forms an lateral projection 221 and defines a through hole (not labeled) therein which is offset the same distance as the distance between the through holes of the electrical connector 210 and a central line of the board lock 220. However, the board locks 220 are not identical and are manufactured in different machine tools, thereby increasing costs. Furthermore, each board lock 220 is only suitable for being mounted to a corresponding side of the electrical connector 210 and is not suitable for being mounted on the other side of the electrical connector 210. Thus, it is not convenient to mount the board locks 220 to the electrical connector 210. Hence, an improved electrical connector assembly is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.